Category: results

What an absolutely wonderful event you staged at Roland Garros over the past two weeks. You ladies kept me glued to my computer screen and you actually made me late for work a few mornings. On many occassions while I was at work, I was unable to watch matches, and so, for the first time in a long while, I actually had to go home and watch matches that had already been concluded during the course of the day’s event.

Your tournament was so good that I actually had to subscribe to additional channels because I just did not want to miss one ball during this 2 week event. And I don’t even like clay season all that much.

However, and this where I am a little bit annoyed at you ladies. I know your champion is an outlier. I know that she is not very popular amongst her peers (hello, Judy Murray cheered on Naomi Broady when she went after her). I know she has a temper, but come on, did no one watch the final? Did none of you get up out of your beds, no matter where you were in the world, and watch the match? OK, so maybe it isn’t about Ostapenko. Maybe it is about Halep, her opponent? Maybe you were disgusted at Halep’s comments about equal pay? If so, I can understand. There were 2 of your colleagues playing that you don’t really like and so, you never even bothered to tune in … but … and here is where there is a big but … you ladies don’t even seem to do the same thing for Serena Williams either.

What is about the WTA athletes where congratulating an athlete on an accomplishment seems to go against some competitiveness etc. I know you ladies congratulate people and I know you ladies watch tennis matches. The proof was the next day when you were all out in your numbers congratulating Rafael Nadal on winning 10 Roland Garros titles. See, this is where I sometimes don’t get the thought process behind who you ladies choose to watch and for whom you choose to show your support.

I have read interviews where some of you say that you don’t watch women’s tennis. Where you say that you can’t think of having a female coach. Where you think having a coach coming down court side to provide guidance is a good thing. I get the mind set, but again, how does that benefit your sport? There are men on the ATP who don’t agree that women should get paid the same as the men. I can’t imagine why you would care to support someone whose thought processes are still stuck in the dark ages. I don’t get it. Help me out here.

Anyway, your Roland Garros champion is a joy. She is young, athletic, disarming and very engaging. Hopefully, you ladies can see fit to show her some love via social media (even if she isn’t on Twitter).

Thoughts

how great was it to see Jelena Ostapenko introduce herself to the tennis world. 54 winners, most of them from that huge forehand (and don’t forget her backhand) in the final and 289 winners overall. She showed more than anything what belief really is. Congratulations Jelena.

Simona Halep needs to rethink her life and her life choices. Get rid of Darren Cahill. He is a terrible coach. There is nothing wrong with you getting emotional. If it helps you in your every day life, I say go for it. If smashing a racquet and cursing in Romanian get you through a match, then do it. You are not a child and your coach is not your parent.

Caroline Wozniacki, please take a leaf out of Ostapenko’s book and ditch your dad as a coach. You are back in the top 10 but you have done so by playing careful tennis. If you want to win that Major, you are going to have to change your mind set when it comes to your game and just go for it. You did it earlier in the year but you have regressed. Sort it out.

Angelique Kerber (no words)

Elina Svitolina – not my pick to win but you don’t have match points, lose a tight tiebreak and then disappear in the third set. Not for a place in the French Open. You don’t do that.

I am sure that many have already put forward their thoughts on Ostapenko being coached by a woman. What I loved about this is the story behind it. Ostapenko is/was coached by her mother, also named Jelena. The team decided that it might be a good thing to get another voice to work with the younger Jelena during the clay season. The older Jelena took a backseat and allowed the coach that had been employed to work her magic. The fact that the coach in question, Anabel Medina had no prior coaching history (at least none of which I am aware), and was only available because she has been sidelined with a shoulder injury, is a testament to both Jelenas having the wisdom to actually know their limitations and putting a plan in place to ensure that they brought in someone wiser and smarter than they were (Wozniacki, please take note of this).

All in all I enjoyed this year’s French Open. My faves never got near the title but I am quite ecstatic at this new generation. They are hitting fearlessly and cleanly and I for one am loving it.

It has been incredibly hard to get up the fight to do a picks and results thread today. Seeing Venus losing so miserably against Sharapova made my blood boil. I was even angrier at the post match celebration of Sharapova. As someone said, clearly she mistook beating Venus for beating Serena. Onwards.

Of the 8 matches played yesterday, Spin had a win rate of 75%. Bartoli served to stay in the match in the third set but got broken and Zheng, channelling her inner Stosur, served for the match at 5-4, got broken and would not win another game, losing 7-5 in the third.

PLAYER A

PLAYER B

SPIN’S PICKS

RESULTS

Na Li

Sorana Cirstea

Na Li – too much firepower from Li. Cirstea, if she plays well and cuts down on the UFEs could take a set, but I doubt it

Li

Julia Georges

Jie Zheng

Giant killer Zheng up against one of the most inconsistent players on Tour. I take Zheng in 3.

Georges

Ana Ivanovic

Jelena Jankovic

Battle of the Serbians. If this is not a pick em I don’t know what is. Neither player is consistent. Both ladies have struggled during this tournie. I am going with Ivanovic, if only because she will have more crowd support

Ivanovic

Heather Watson

Agnieszka Radwanska

Radwanska – the 4th seed will have too much tricks in her arsenal to be swayed by Watson, who is coming off a brutal 3 setter

Radwanska

Angelique Kerber

Madison Keys

Kerber – this is where the journey ends for the young American. While she has served and played well through her opening rounds, Kerber’s get the next ball back will prove to be too much for her to handle.

Kerber

Ekaterina Makarova

Marion Bartoli

This should be a very fun match to watch, if only to see Bartoli jumping around during Makarova’s serve. Bartoli in straights

Makarova

Valeria Savinykh

Kirsten Flipkens

Flipkens – if only because Savinykh has to face reality. She has played a lot of matches this AO, having qualified into the main draw. The journey ends here.

Flipkens

Venus Williams

Maria Sharapova

While this blog will sentimentally pick Williams to win this one, on form alone, I think Sharapova will win this one. The Russian is on a no games lost win streak for 2013, but look for Williams to at least win a game each set.

Sharapova

Today’s picks are below. Have fun

PLAYER A

PLAYER B

SPIN’S PICKS

RESULTS

Victoria Azarenka

Jamie Hampton

Azarenka – the World’s No. 1 will be too consistent for the youngster

Elena Vesnina

Roberta Vinci

Vesnina – I believe the euphoria of winning her first title will end here as the Italian veteran will work over Vesnina to frustration

Caroline Wozniacki

Lesia Tsurenko

Wozniacki – a pick em if I ever saw one. Is Wozniacki on her way back or is she just reaping the fruits of her lucky escape from Lisicki?

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Carla Suarez Navarro

Navarro – Navarro will frustrate Kuznetsova into errors if Sveta cannot find a way to hit through her

Serena Williams

Ayumi Morita

Williams – a red flag has been raised. Unless Williams has done something new to herself on her day off, I see this one being a beatdown

Yanina Wickmayer

Maria Kirilenko

Kirilenko – the consistent Kirilenko will frustrate Wickmayer. The 2 have never played before, which I find surprising.

Kimiko Date-Krumm

Bojana Jovanovski

Krumm – the veteran will give the youngster all she can handle.

Sloane Stephens

Laura Robson

The battle of the young ones. The 2 played a reasonably good match in Hobart with Stephens coming in straight sets. Whether Robson has recovered from her long 3 set match against Kvitova will play a role. Stephens has sailed through her first 2 rounds here. Look for Stephens to continue her march to the second week